Congestion-problem puzzle.



W. H. BROWNING. CONGESTION PROBLEM PUZZLE. 'APPLIGATIoN FILED APR. 12, 1911.

1,017,378. Patented Feb.13,1912.

UNTTED sTaTns PATENT cierren.

WILLIAM HULL BROWNIN G, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONGESTION-PROBLEM PUZZLE.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BROWN- ING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Congestion-Problem Puzzle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new and improved puzzle, which embodies the idea of the -congestion problem caused by high buildings, which may be readily solved by having buildings of considerably less height distributed over a larger space, and brings out the idea of the diferent interests, such as architects, builders and real estate parties who would oppose a bill tending to force the change from high buildings to buildings of normal height spreading over a greater area to accommodate the same number of people.

An object of this invention is to provide a puzzle which will be inexpensive to manufacture, instructive in its use, and both pleasing and puzzling in its operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a puzzle having a representation of a tall building on one side, with a plurality of small buildings whose aggregate capacit-y is equal to that of the tall building, only being spread out over a larger land area, with obstructions located between the two buildings, representing the different interests which would oppose the change from tall buildings to buildings of moderate height by a bill limiting the height of buildings, said obstructions having passages therein adapted to permit, by manipulation, the transference of a plurality of rolling members, such as balls or shot, from the tall building to the other buildings, representing the tenants passing from the one to the other, and illustrating the idea of the congestion which occurs in leaving a tall building, said obstructions being so arranged that the passage from the low buildings to the tall building will be comparatively easy, representing the ease of passing from buildings of moderate height, without congestion.

These and further objects, together with the construction and combination of parts, will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

y Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, in which similar characters of ref- Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912. Serial No. 620,625.

erence indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure l is a top plan view; Fig. 2 is a vert-ical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a of one of the obstructions.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of this invention as embodied in the fo-rm shown in the drawings, l indicates a suitable casing, which may have printed or impressed on sheet metal, on one side thereof, a representation of a tall building, indicated at 2. On the opposite side, there are provided a plurality of representations of low buildings, indicated at 3, impressed or printed in the same manner, the total capacity of which is equal to that of the tall building 2.

For the purpose of representing'the tenants in the buildings, there are provided a plurality of movable members, which are shown in the form of balls or shot 4, and are held in position in any of the buildings by means of depressions or cavities 5, located in channels formed therein. In the tall building, there is provided a single channel 6, eX- tendingy the full length thereof, with a plurality of these depressions 5 located at suitable spaced intervals. In the low buildings 3, each building may have a channel 7, in which a plurality of depressions 5 are provided, for the purpose of holding the balls in position, when once manipulated therein. At the bottom of the tall building 2, there is provided a sidewalk or courtyard 8, which communicates with the channel'G, and has an outlet 9 communicating with a passage 10.

It will be noted that between the building 2 and the buildings 3, there are provided a plurality of obstructions, representing the various interests which would oppose the passage of a bill limiting the height of buildings so that the congestion problem would be eliminated. These obstructions are indicated at l1, 12 and 13, and are shown in the form of blocks extending in parallel relation with the building 2, and forming parallel passages l0, 14 and l5. Each of these obstructions is provided with a series of transversely-extending passages 16, whereby the balls or shot representing the tenants can pass through the obstructions, from one side thereof to the other, in going from the tall building to the low buildings, and vice versa. The entrance of these balls on the perspective view side adjacent to the tall building is made somewhat diliicult, by having a slight step or rise, indicated at 17, so that the balls, in passing from the tall building to the low buildings, will have to be manipulated before they will enter the passages 16. In going in the opposite direction, the passages 16 are flush with the floor of the passages lll and 15, so that there is no difficulty in this direction. A further obstruction to the passage of the tenants, represented by the shot 4t, is formed by a plurality of balls 18 located in the channels 19, longitudinally disposed on the obstructions 11, 12 and 13. These balls are of such a size that they cannot pass through the passages 16, and yet obstruct the passage of the balls t from going through too readily. The balls 18, however, can be intermittently removed from obstructing the passages 16 by tilting the puzzle, as indicated in Fig. 1, to the right, when some of the balls 18 will fall into pockets 2O located on the side of the channel 19, in closest juxtaposition to the tall building 2. This action, as indicated in connection with the obstruction 13, is shown broken away in Fig. 1. The balls, on passing the last obstruction 13, in passing from the building 2 to the buildings 3, enter courtards 21 communicating with the channels of each of the buildings. The whole device may be covered with a transparent plate of glass, Celluloid, or the like, indicated at 22.

The operation of the device will be readily understood when taken in connection with the above description. If we start with the building 2 fully occupied by tenants, represented by the balls or shot 4, the cavities 5 in the channel 6 will be all filled, the object being to transfer the balls from the tall building to the cavities in the various low buildings. In tilting the balls to run out of the tall building, it will be noted that so many will come out into the courtyard at the same time that there will be a jamming and collecting, representing the congestion which usually occurs when a large number of tenants of tall buildings come out at once. The balls must be manipulated one at a time through the outlet 9 into the passage 10, where their travel from one side of the puzzle to the other' will be greatly hindered by the obstructions 11, 12 and 13. In passing through any one of these obstructions, the passage of the tenants will be hindered in the first instance by the slight rise at the entrance to the passage 16, at 17. The balls will be further obstructed by the blocking balls 18, which, however, may be manipulated out of the way by tilting the puzzle, so that some of these blocking balls enter the cavities 20. It will be noted that the passages 16 extend substantially in alinement with the channels 7 'in the short buildings,

so that the required number of balls, which is shown as three in this instance, can be entered into each of the courtyards 21. Then all of the balls have been transferred from one side of the device to the other, the device can be made further interesting by reversing, and transferring the balls back into the congested building. It will be surprising how easily the operation may be reversed, in view of the fact that the balls 18 will naturally drop into the pockets on the side next to the tall building, when the puzzle is tilted in that direction to make the balls roll from the low buildings toward the tall building.

Having jthus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a congestion'- problem puzzle, the combination with a representation of a. high building on one side, of a representation of a plurality of low buildings on the opposite side, a plurality of balls, representing tenants, adapted to be manipulated from one side of the puzzle to the other from said high building to said low buildings, and a plurality of obstructions located between said high building and said low buildings, adapted to prevent the easy passage ot' said balls representing tenants, said obstructions representing various interests which might oppose the change from high buildings to low buildings, said obstructions having a plurality of' passages therein, and a plurality of blocking balls located in said obstructions and adapted to prevent the passage of said tenant members through said passages.

2. In a congestion-problem puzzle, the combination with a representation of a high building on one side, of a representation of' a plurality of low buildings on the opposite side, a plurality of balls, representing tenants, adapted to be manipulated from one side of the puzzle to the other from said high building to said low buildings, a plurality of obstructions located between said high building and said low buildings, adapted to prevent the easy passage of said balls representing tenants, said obstructions representing various interests which might oppose the change from high buildings to low buildings, said obstructions having a plurality of passages therein, and a plurality of blocking balls located in said obstructions and adapted to prevent the passage of said tenant members through said passages, said obstructions having pockets therein adapted to accommodate some of said blocking balls to remove them from obstructing said passages.

3. In a congestion-problem puzzle, the combination with a representat-ion of a high building on one side, of a representation of a plurality of low buildings on the opposite side, a plurality of balls, representing tenants, adapted to be manipulated from one side of the puzzle to the other from said high building to said low buildings, a plurality of obstructions located between said high building and said low buildings, adapted to prevent the easy passage of said balls representing tenants, said obstructions representing various interests which might oppose the change from high buildings to low buildings, said obstructions having a plurality of passages therein, and a plurality of blocking balls located in said obstructions and adapted to prevent the passage of said tenant members through said passages, said obstruct-ions having pockets therein adapted to accommodate some of said blocking balls to remove them from obstructing said passages, said pockets being located on the side adjacent said tall building.

4. In a congestion-problem puzzle, the representation of a tall building on one side, having a channel therethrough, in which are located a plurality of depressions adapted to hold a series of movable balls, representing tenants, a series of representations of low buildings having a capacity equal to that of said tall building and each having a channel therein, withV depressions in the channel adapted to hold said balls representing tenants, a series of parallel obstructions interposed between said tall building and said low buildings and spaced apart from each other to form parallel passages, said obstructions having a plurality of passages therethrough communicating with said parallel passages, and also each having a longitudinally-extending channel, and blocking balls in said channels adapted to obstruct the passage of said tenant balls through said passages, said obstructions having pockets therein located on the side next to said tall building, wherein said blocking balls may fall.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HULL BROVN ING.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. STEIN, C. C. BENEDICT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

